This invention relates generally to the field of articulated vehicular equipment, and more particularly to an articulated tractor equipped with a novel implement orientation system permitting new versatility for active and effective operator-controlled implement positioning and articulated tractor implement operation independently of the lay of terrain traversed by the tractor. The invention also relates to a new method for orienting an implement mounted on an articulated tractor.
The present invention allows a articulated tractor to be operated with chassis frame adjustment of the transverse tilt of an implement for active implement operation in confined areas despite the slope or irregularity of the terrain. The invention makes this possible while simultaneously permitting stable and solid unlevel ground support for the wheels of the articulated tractor and while keeping the chassis frame adjustment of the implement orientation under operator control.
Insofar as is known, frame-mounted articulated tractor transverse implements have not heretofore been capable of total operator control of their transverse orientation in a manner completely independent of the lay of the terrain over which the tractor is steered by articulation. This has made it difficult if not impossible to obtain consistent and efficient articulated tractor transverse implement operational results on uneven terrain, especially in areas confining or limiting the range of operation of the articulated tractor itself. A good example of the problem is that of building a level road in uneven terrain between existing obstacles such as between buildings, or building a suitably graded road next to hazards such as along the side of a mountain. Existing articulated tractor machinery is unsatisfactory for tackling such jobs effectively without a multitude of wasted tractor movements. The present invention provides a solution to this vexing problem.